Kazakhstan ready to host Donbass contact group negotiations

Photo courtesy of akorda.kz

Ambassador of Kazakhstan in Belarus Yergali Bulegenov has declared that Kazakhstan is ready to host a meeting of the contact group on Donbass, Tengrinews reports citing RIA Novosti.

In April last year the Ukrainian authorities began a military operation in Donbass against the separatists in the region. According to the latest UN data, more than 6,000 people fell victim to the conflict. At the moment, Minsk serves as a platform for negotiations to resolve the conflict in the region in the format Ukraine-Russia-OSCE plus representatives of DNR and LNR.

"Kazakhstan is always ready to offer a platform for any negotiations, but for a cause, not for PR. For the sake of peace," Bulegenov said at a press conference in Minsk on Thursday.

The ambassador said that the location of the platform was of secondary importance compared to the goal of reaching agreements and reinstating peace.

Bulegenov noted the considerable efforts of the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to stabilize the situation in Ukraine. "As for Ukraine - a lot of work has been done specifically by Alexander Lukashenko to resolve the conflict, to create a platform for the negotiations," the Kazakh Ambassador said.

The latest meeting of the contact group was held in Minsk on February 12. Then, the parties adopted a series of measures to implement the Minsk Agreement that envisioned a cease-fire in the Donbass starting from February 15, withdrawal of heavy weapons and the establishment of safety zones. The intensity of the fire has decreased significantly, but soon the region once again became the territory of clashes between the Ukrainian army and the separatists. The parties are still accusing each other of violating the cease-fire agreement.

By Dinara Urazova, editing by Tatyana Kuzmina

Ambassador of Kazakhstan in Belarus Yergali Bulegenov has declared that Kazakhstan is ready to host a meeting of the contact group on Donbass, Tengrinews reports citing RIA Novosti.

In April last year the Ukrainian authorities began a military operation in Donbass against the separatists in the region. According to the latest UN data, more than 6,000 people fell victim to the conflict. At the moment, Minsk serves as a platform for negotiations to resolve the conflict in the region in the format Ukraine-Russia-OSCE plus representatives of DNR and LNR.

"Kazakhstan is always ready to offer a platform for any negotiations, but for a cause, not for PR. For the sake of peace," Bulegenov said at a press conference in Minsk on Thursday.

The ambassador said that the location of the platform was of secondary importance compared to the goal of reaching agreements and reinstating peace.

Bulegenov noted the considerable efforts of the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to stabilize the situation in Ukraine. "As for Ukraine - a lot of work has been done specifically by Alexander Lukashenko to resolve the conflict, to create a platform for the negotiations," the Kazakh Ambassador said.

The latest meeting of the contact group was held in Minsk on February 12. Then, the parties adopted a series of measures to implement the Minsk Agreement that envisioned a cease-fire in the Donbass starting from February 15, withdrawal of heavy weapons and the establishment of safety zones. The intensity of the fire has decreased significantly, but soon the region once again became the territory of clashes between the Ukrainian army and the separatists. The parties are still accusing each other of violating the cease-fire agreement.

By Dinara Urazova, editing by Tatyana Kuzmina

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